The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
